Automatic pen filler and cleaner



l July 25, 1944. ALER v I 2,354,288

AUTOMATIC PEN FILLER AND CLEANER,

Filed April 7, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I1 uen tor Jul -25,1944. R ALE R2,354,288

IAUTQMATIC PENVHFIILLERIANDA,CLEANER I w I W 3 July 25, 1944.

R. P. ALER AUTOMATIC PEN FILLER AND CLEANER Filed April 7, 1943 v3 Sheets-Sheet' Inventor Attorney:

Patented July 25, 1944 i i I 2,354,288?

2,354,288 e I AUTOMATIC" PEN FILLER- ANnoLE vEa Richard P. Aler,Baltimore, Md, Application April '1, 1943;sena1no. 482,165

Claims. (015120-57), a 5

This invention relates to new and useful improvernents in devices forfeeding ink to pens such as drafting pens and also means for cleaningpens of this type speedily and effortlessly.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatuswhich in response to a predetermined manual force subjected to a penwill deliver ink to the pen and which'also includes.

a unit which by substantially the sameaction will clean a penthoroughly, thus saving considerable time on the part of a draftsman. I

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a top planview of the entire apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus looking toward theink dispenser.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the pen cleaner in sideelevation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailedsectional view taken substantially onthe line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view takensubstantially 'on the line' 5--5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view looking downwardly from theline'6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary elevational view looking at the cleanerelement and the ratchet detent therefor.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially onthe line 88 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary top plan view showing one of the cradles.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen that numeral 5 denotes a platform or base upon which twounits A and B are mounted, the unit A being for the purpose ofautomatically feeding ink to pens, while the unit B is intended for thecleaning of pens by a substantially automatic operation.

The unit A embodies an upright 6 suitably secured as at l to the base 5while a small tank 8 for containing ink is suitably secured as at 9 toits upper end. The tank 8 has a filler neck en closure Hi and upon thistank is a riser supporting a rockable beam l 2 from one end of whichextends a rod |3, this rod |3 extending through an opening H in the topof the tank 8 and downwardly into a tube l5 where the rod is providedwith a piston I6 operative by the rod from one depends below the tank aand has a flexible hose or tube l8 extending therefrom tothe upper end,

' ofan arcuate rigid pipe l9, this pipe or tube extending longitudinallyof the curved end por" tion 28 of a rocker 2|, a dispensing nib: 22i'sjprovided'at the lower end of the pipe I8.

The rocker 2| is fulcrurned as suggested in li ig ures 2 and 6, therocker having a threaded opene ing therein through which a screw shaft.22 is disposed, this screw shaft being provided with a knurled head .23at one end. The sorewshaft is threadedly disposed through the upperportion of a post 24and journaled through an opposed post 25 where thescrew shaft has a stop enlarge- Obviously, the purpose of the screw.

shaft 22 is to shift the rocker 2| horizontally so.

that the dispensing nib 22 can be properly locatment 26.

ed with respect to the position of the pen. vThe rear end of the rocker2| has a depending portion 21 and a horizontal tail portion 28 carryinga counter-balancing weight 29.

,On a short post 30 rising from the base 5 is a short rocker 3|, havingone end connected bye;- link bar 32 to the tail portion 28 of the rocker2 ii,

A link 33 connects the other end of the short rocker 3| to an ear 34 onthe rear end of a cra- 1 dle 35 which is intended to receivetheiinkreceiving end of a pen 36. As is shown in Figure, 9,";

one side wall a of the cradle is straight, while the opposed wall vbcurved this for the purpose, of

conforming with the sides of the drafting pen 36.

The cradle 35 has a bearing structure 31 at its intermediate lowerportion through which a shaft 38 is disposed, this shaft being supportedby a post 39 rising from the base 5.

A hood 48 is disposed over the cradle 35 and is supported by a rest 4|.The hood is open for a portion of its top and at its forward side toaccommodate both the ink dispensing nib 22 and a pen 36.

It can now be seen, that by first placing the pen on the cradle 35 andhaving the same snugly fit therein, the pen can be pushed down to rockthe cradle and this, in turn, rocks the small rocker side to the 'otherofan opening H in the partial of thetube |5 within the tank 8. The tube|5-.

the shaft 22 (see Figure 6) can be adjusted to properly place the nib.

The cleaner mechanism denoted by the reference character B is in mostrespects identical in construction with the mechanism A, the unit Bcomprising briefly, a cleaning fluid reservoir 8a suppported by a postSo, a rocker 2la supported by posts 24a and having adjusting means 22a,a pipe [9a on a curved portion of the rocker Zla and this connected by aflexible hose l8a to a suitable valve in the tank 8a, which iscontrolled by arocker IZa'and a link 44a extending from the rocker l2ato the rocker Ma. The

rocker Zla is counterbalanced by a weight 29a" and the rocker 2Ia isoperated by a' cradle 35a which is connected by a link 33a to a smallrocker 3| a and this, in turn, is connected'by' way'of a link 32a to therear portion of the rocker Zia, In front of the cradle 35a is a rest 4|(1 and above the cradle 35a and carried by the rocker 21a is 'arotarycleaningelement 50 mounted for rotation.

within a bifurcated portion of the pipe [9a. The rotary cleaningelement50 ,is ona shaft 52 with a ratchet wheel 53 whichis engaged by atooth 54 on a spring arm 55 supported by a post 56. (See Figure 7.)

It can now be seen,'that by pushing downwardly on the cradle 35a'with apen, the rocker 3; will .be rocked and, in turn, the rocker 2la will berocked to lower the cleaning element 50 and this results in thereleasing of some of the fluid from the reservoir 8a to the pipe l9a andalso because of the engagement of the tooth 54. against the ratchetwheel 53, the ratchet wheel will be caused to rotate and the cleaningelement 50 likewise, so that when the cleaning element reaches the penit is rotating and performs a cleaning peration on the pen. An up anddown movement of the pen will cause continual rota tion of the element50 and a sufiicient delivery of cleaning fluid. I

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as;

claimed hereinafter. 7

Having described the claimed as new is: 1. A pen inking unit includingvalve controlled feed means, a feed nib connected to the feed means, arocker supporting the nib, cradle a'ctu ating means for the rocker andoperable through invention, what I is the medium of a pen when thelatter is moved into engagement with the cradle and predetermined manualforce applied to the pen, and counter-balancing means for the rocker.

2. A liquid feeding mechanism for a pen and comprising a reservoirhaving a valve, a rocker having a feed line connected to the dischargeend of the valve, a cradle shaped to conformably receive a pen andconnected to the rocker when the latter is moved into engagement withthe cradle and predetermined manual force applied to the pen, meansconnecting the rocker to the valve, and means for adjusting the feedline relative to the cradle.

-3. A liquid dispensing device for a tool of the class described andcomprising a reservoir having a valve, a feed line connected thereto, apivoted support to which the feed line is attached for movement with thesupport, means operatively connecting the valve to the support, atiltable tool actuated cradle, and means operatively connecting thecradle to the pivoted support for simultaneously opening the valve andmoving the discharge end ofthe feed line toward the tool when thelatteris moved into engagement with the cradle and predetermined manualforce applied to the tool.

4. A pen inking unit including a reservoir having a valve, a .feed lineconnected thereto, a tiltable pen-engageable cradle shaped to conformwith the ink holding end of a pen, a pivotal support for the feed line,and means operatively connecting the cradle with the valve and with thefeed line support for simultaneously opening the valve and moving thefeed line toward the pen when the latter is manually moved intoengagement with the cradle and predetermined manual force applied to thepen for operation of the cradle through the medium of the pen.

5. A pen cleaning unit comprising a cleaning fluid reservoir, valvemeans for the reservoir, a feed line for the valve means, a rotarycleaning element at the end of the feed line, said cleaning elementbeing provided with a ratchet wheel, a rocker supporting the feed lineand operatively connected to the valve means, means connected to therocker and manually operable through the. medium ,of a pen engaging saidlast-named means and actuating the rocker, and a station-' ary pawl in:the path of bodily movement of the ratchet wheel and engageabletherewith to actuate the ratchet wheel.

RICHARD P. ALER.

